Automatic ventilators



March 21, 1961 WEBER 2,975,975

AUTOMATIC VENTILATORS Filed July 21, 1958 INV EN TOR.

2,975,915 AUTOMATIC VENTILATORS Erwin L. Weber, 632 Medical Arts Bldg., Seattle, Wash.

Filed July 21, 1958, Ser. No. 750,039

1 Claim. Cl. 236-49) The invention is an improvement in means for ventilat-' ing spaces in buildings, unexcavated spaces, attics, etc.

The object of the invention is to provide ventilation under certain indoor, or outdoor temperature conditions and to automatically stop said ventilation under lower and/ or higher indoor or outdoor temperature conditions.

To avoid the formation of fungus growths, dry rot, etc., in unexcavated spaces, roof spaces, attics, etc., it is necessary to provide a flow of air therethru. Usually undampered ventilator inlets and outlets are provided in the construction. When the weather gets cold or hot, these Ventilators are often closed by the use of boards, sacks, etc., to avoid unpleasant floor, or ceiling temperatures within the structure. Too frequently these barriers are not removed and the aeration of the spaces is stopped, thus permitting fungus growths, dry rot, etc., to take place.

To produce pleasant living conditions in buildings with attics it is often desirable to provide ventilation of attics, while the temperature range, either indoors or/ and outdoors is favorable and to stop this ventilationof attics when the temperature range, either indoors or/ and outdoors is too cold or too hot.

The above indicates the desirability of having ventilator openings which will provide aeration during the more favorable temperature ranges, but which automatically close when undesirably low and/or high temperatures, outside or inside, are encountered. By this means overheating of a building during hot weather and excessive cooling of the building during cold weather are avoided and thereby power for cooling and fuel for heating are reduced to a minimum, as well as avoiding freezing of water pipes and the like.

With these ends in view, the invention embodies a casing or ventilator provided with a damper which will automatically, be open during favorable temperature ranges and close during unfavorable temperature ranges.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein like characters represent like parts.

Fig. 1 is an isometric view of the assembly with part of the damper broken away and with part shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the damper assembly.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the damper assembly with parts broken away.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3: the device consists of a ventilator casing 1 having a base 20, side walls 21 and 22, and an upper panel-23, and the casing is open at both ends, and provided with shrouds or shields 2, which are aifixed thereto; a shaft 3 carrying a damper 4; a plurality of bimetallic elements 5, which act as supports and as actuating mechanisms for the device and which are afiixed by welding or any suitable means to the shrouds at 6 and to the shaft at 7. Damper 4 is shown in full open position at 8, and in full closed positions damper provides a stop sealing the at 9 and 10. The arrow 11 shows the direction of air flow from the outdoors.

Fig. 1 shows the damper in full open position 8; Fig. 2 shows the damper in full open position 8 in full lines and in full closed positions 9 and 10 in dotted lines; and Fig. 3 shows the damper in full closed position 10. The damper may operate in any intermediate positions between 9 and 19.

The shrouds 2 are for the protection of the bimetallic elements and act as shields against radiation and convection from the side opposite the air inlet if the damper is to be actuated from outdoor temperatures. If the damper is to be actuated from indoor temperatures, the casing is turned around whereby the shrouds and shields 2 are positioned in reverse from the position shown on the drawings.

The bimetallic elements 5 are of a type which will coil up and uncoil with changes in temperature and may be of any desired size or sensitivity and may be designed to any temperature range.

The resilience of the coiled elements will permit temperatures to rise above or drop below the ends of travel of the damper without damage to the device, and will assure an extra tight fit under such conditions.

The edges of the damper may be fitted in the casing to prevent clattering noises.

Grilles or insect screens may be placed over either opening.

In operation; the device is installed in the wall of the space to be ventilated and set so that at the most favorable outdoor temperature (say 65 F.) the damper is in the full open position 8. As the outdoor temperature rises to the maximum setting (say F.) the damper is in the fully closed position 9 and as the outdoor temperature drops to the minimum setting (say 45 f F.) the damper is in the fully closed position 10.

While a single vane damper is shown it is understood that other types of independently operated dampers may be used.

While the coils are shown aflixed on the ends of the shaft, it is understood that they may be affixed at other locations. The width of the damper is such that the passage and forming an air tight construction.

The damper 4 is shown atfixed to the shaft 3. However, it is understood that the shaft and damper may be integral or formed from one piece of material and the bimetallic elements are secured to ends of the shaft.

While the bimetallic elements 5 are shown affixed to the shrouds 2 it is understood that same may be afiixed to the casing 1.

The shrouds 2 are provided with upper flanges 14 and 15 and lower flanges 16 and 17, and the flanges are connected by semi-circular sections 18 and 19. Outer edges of the flanges and semi-circular sections of the shrouds are secured to inner surfaces of the sides 21 and 22 of the casing.

The ends of the damper are provided with recesses 24 and 25 that are positioned to receive the coils 5 and sections 18 and 19 of the shrouds.

It is understood that the bimetallic elements 5 may be made of non-metallic substancesv or a combination of metallic and non-metallic substances performing a similar function.

While a bimetallic element is specified, any device which produces a rotary motion with changes in ambient temperature is included.

While a transverse damper is shown it is understood that a damper of any other type or design may be used.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a ventilator, the combination which comprises a rectangular-shaped casing having a base, side walls extended upwardly from sides of the base, and an upper panel parallel to the base and connecting upper edges of the side walls, shrouds extending fromthe base to the upper panel and having vertically disposed upper and lower flanges positioned in a plane extended longitudinally through the casing and connected by semi-circular sections, said shrouds being located at the ends of the casing and secured to inner surfaces of the side Walls, a pair of bi-nietal coils mounted on inner surfaces of the semi-circular sections of the shrouds, a shaft positioned longitudinally of the casing and mounted with the ends thereof secured to inner ends of the bimetal coils, a damper having recesses in the ends mounted on the shaft and positioned to close a passage through the casing, said shrouds being positioned to cover one vertical side of the bimetal coil unit to prevent the coils from being subjected to rapid changes in temperature due to the pets sage of fluid through the casing, and said bimetal coils being positioned to actuate the damper to, selectively, a closed position in said casing when the temperature of air around the casing rises to a predetermined degree, and to a closed position in said casing with the damper turned about its axis to a substantially completely reversed position when the temperature of the air drops to a predetermined degree.

Ret'erences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,832,462 Honeywell Nov. 17, 1931 2,062,937 Root Dec. 1, 1936 2,284,674 Murdock June 2, 1942 2,551,965 Petersen May 8, 1951 2,664,862 Walker Jan. 5, 1954 

